The invention relates to an assembly for adjusting an adjustment element relative to a stationary portion of a vehicle and to a method for adjusting an adjustment element relative to a stationary portion of a vehicle.
Such adjustment element for example can be realized by a vehicle door, for example a vehicle side door or a tailgate of a vehicle. Such vehicle door can be moved relative to a vehicle body, in order to clear a vehicle opening. The vehicle door for example can be pivotally arranged on the vehicle body. It likewise is conceivable and possible, however, that the vehicle door is shiftably arranged on the vehicle body.
Such assembly comprises a drive motor for electromotively adjusting the adjustment element. An electrically actuatable coupling device is provided, in order to couple the drive motor with a transmission element in a coupling, first condition, in order to exert an adjustment force for adjusting the adjustment element on the transmission element. In a decoupling, second condition of the coupling device the drive motor is decoupled from the transmission element, so that the drive motor at idle can be driven independent of the transmission element or the transmission element can be moved independent of the drive motor for example for manually adjusting the adjustment element.
In a closed position the adjustment element for example closes a vehicle opening. In this closed position the adjustment element is locked with the stationary portion of the vehicle, for example the vehicle body, by means of a locking device (e.g. in the form of a door lock), so that in the closed position the adjustment element is blocked relative to the stationary portion and in particular cannot be moved out of the closed position without unlocking the locking device. In an unlocked condition the locking device releases the adjustment element, so that the adjustment element can be moved out of the closed position, for example in order to open a vehicle door.
The locking device for example includes a rotary latch (on the adjustment element or the stationary portion), which in the locked condition is in engagement with a striker (on the stationary portion or the adjustment element) and thereby locks the adjustment element with the stationary portion. The rotary latch can be unlocked, in order to provide for adjusting the adjustment element relative to the stationary portion.
A control device is provided, in order to control the drive motor, the coupling device and the locking device.
The assembly thus serves for electromotively adjusting the adjustment element, for example a vehicle door of a vehicle. In its closed position a vehicle door usually rests against the vehicle body via a seal and is held at the seal with pressure via the locking device (for example in the form of a door lock), so that the seal provides a suitable sealing effect between the vehicle door and the vehicle body for moisture-tight sealing of the vehicle opening and at the same time produces an elastic pretension between the vehicle door and the vehicle body.
When a locking device in the form of a door lock conventionally is unlocked for opening a vehicle door, the pretension provided via the seal leads to the fact that after unlocking of the locking device the vehicle door springs out a little from its closed position, before the vehicle door is moved on with preferably constant speed by means of the drive motor and is brought into an open position. Thus, the opening operation initially is non-uniform and uncontrolled, which can be perceived as disturbing.